January 2014

What's Due...

TLCS Plans due January 31

All 346 Iowa school districts have applied for planning grants to support the local development of Teacher Leadership and Compensation Systems. The deadline to submit a plan to enter the system in the 2014-15 school year is January 31, and those selected to participate in the first year of the system will be notified by early March. If you are submitting a plan and have questions, check the DE FAQ page, visit the TLCS page on the GHAEA H.E.L.P. site or Peter Ansingh (DE) encourages you to contact him directly.

What's New...

The Annual Condition of Education Report: 2013

The report provides a wide range of state-level data, including shifts in student populations and demographics, teacher salaries and characteristics, student achievement results and school financial information. The report contains the most recent data through the 2012-13 school year, unless otherwise noted.

“Data such as those included in the Annual Condition of Education report help us understand where we are as an education system, what works well, and where improvements are needed,” Iowa Department of Education Director Brad Buck said. “This is one resource that will help us work together to provide all students the best education possible.”

The report also includes two unique sections:

• An evaluation of the impact of the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program on the third-grade assessment results of students who participated in the preschool program during the 2008-09 school year. 
• A study that examines the relationship between student achievement and teacher retention in Iowa schools. 

Iowa TIER, IGDIs and FAST assessments

Iowa TIER, as well as IGDIs and FAST assessments, will be made available to all districts to support the requirement in 279.68 that all schools must implement valid and reliable universal screening and progress monitoring assessments by August 2014. A team of DE/AEA/LEA personnel is working to develop a detailed plan of how to provide such access while maintaining the current implementation and scaling model for a multi-tiered system of support for early literacy. This plan will likely be made public by February 2014. For more information about MTSS (RtI) in Iowa, click here.

THIRD GRADE, prepare for 2017 

The 2013 reading legislation mandates all K-3rd graders receive the necessary reading instruction to help them reach “proficiency” by the end of third grade. Any non-proficient students will be required to receive intensive, research-based reading instruction. Such students will be retained starting May 2017. (Click to see a summary of the legislation).

HiSET starting this month. Goodbye GED.

The Iowa Department of Education announced a new test that will replace the GED® in 2014 as the assessment required to earn a state-issued high school equivalency diploma.

Twas twenty-fourteen and all through the state,

Not a CPlan was uncertified, not even a day late.

EdInsight displays had been analyzed with care

In hopes that IYS data soon would be there.

Teachers were collaborating, as outlined by regs,

While visions of proficiency danced in their heads.

When what to our wondering eyes should appear

But Core standards in Math, Reading and Science (so near).

With an email from the Grimes Building, Floor number three

We knew in a moment it must be the D.E.

More rapid than lunch hour, the PD it came

The leadership team whistled and called them by name,

"Now SINA, now DINA, RtI and DuFour,

On CGI, technology, SDI and the Core.

Race to the top, every classroom and hall

Now implement, implement, implement all!"

Then we heard it exclaimed, "Have a holiday bright, and

Happy New Year to all from the GHAEA H.E.L.P. Site!"

 Sherry & Connie

https://sites.google.com/a/ghaea.org/tssi/

December 2013

What's NEW:

1. GHAEA Superintendent Meetings, Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) information:

• December 4 - Ryan Wise will attend and answer TLC questions.

Previous Superintendent meetings included (November) a panel of Central Decatur educators told the story of their TLC journey with the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP) system. Chris Coffelt referenced the  TAP Implementation Manual. And in October, Ryan Wise and Brad Buck attended to share information and address TLC questions. 

2. Final Guidance: Hours & Days ( link to PDF)

• Effective July 1, 2014, districts and accredited nonpublic schools have the option to choose between 180 days or 1,080 hours of instruction. If a district or school chooses 1,080 hours of instruction, lunch is excluded; however, passing time or parent-teacher conferences may be included. School boards are authorized to determine the days or hours of their school calendars, but must hold a public hearing prior to adoption.

3. National Institute for Excellence (NIET) in Teaching TAP meeting:

• A meeting with NIET regarding TAP is scheduled for December 6, 2013, at the Carson Community Center, 316 South Commercial Street.  

• Two different sessions are scheduled:  8:00 - 11:30 a.m. and 12:30-4:00 p.m. There is no cost for the sessions.  No lunch will be provided.

• If interested in attending, contact Jim Sutton by November 25 regarding which session you plan to attend and the number of attendees:  jsutton@riverside.k12.ia.us or 712-484-2291. 

4. Field Test Waiver FAQs    Iowa is seeking the double-testing flexibility for schools participating in Smarter Balanced Field test.  This would allow for a one-year waiver of the accountability measure outlined in Title 1, Part A of the ESEA 1965.

A reminder of what's DUE in December: 

1. Teacher Leadership&Compensation System Plan Series Sessions (register Jan & Feb) 

The purpose of the planning process is to facilitate a local decision-making process that includes administrators, teachers, and parents and guardians of students in the development of a local teacher leadership and compensation plan.

PDF documents and information are found on this DE page: Teacher Leadership and Compensation System

November 2013 Blog

A reminder of what's DUE in October: 

Each district requesting a Teacher Leadership & Compensation planning grant will receive $5000 plus $3.71 per pupil.

The purpose of the planning process is to facilitate a local decision-making process that includes administrators, teachers, and parents and guardians of students in the development of a local teacher leadership and compensation plan.

October 31, 2013 

Deadline to submit Planning Grant Application to DE

PDF documents and information are found on this DE page: Teacher Leadership and Compensation System

• DE Guidance on TLC System, July 15, 2013
• Teacher Leadership System Design Resources
• TLC Planning Grant Instructions

What's DUE in November? 

Any building or district designated as SINA or DINA is required to submit a two-year action plan within the C-Plan application by November 1, 2013.

For more SINA/ DINA guidance from the Department of Education, click here.
For information about SINA/ DINA at Green Hills AEA, click here.

What's NEW:

A new look for the DE Website: Watch this video to learn more about the website changes.

You may have noticed a change in the Department of Education website.  These changes will allow for more user-friendly search functions and effective video viewing and social media.  As a result, some of your bookmarked links may no longer work.  We have found the A-Z Index as the speediest way to access information you are seeking. 

DE Webinar, October 31: Double Testing- Determination Waiver

The Iowa Department of Education will be submitting an application to the U.S. Department of Education for a “double testing” and “determination waiver.”  This waiver would pertain to schools willing to participate in field testing of the Smarter Balanced Assessment and freeze their building's AYP determination.  Click here for more information about this waiver.

NEW: Teacher Leadership and Compensation System

What's DUE in October?                 

Due: October 31, 2014
Teacher Leadership & Compensation System 
Planning Grant Applications

The purpose of the planning process is to facilitate a local decision-making process that includes administrators, teachers, and parents and guardians of students in the development of a local teacher leadership and compensation plan.

Each district requesting a planning grant will receive $5000 plus $3.71 per pupil.

October 31, 2013 - Deadline to submit Planning Grant Application to DE

PDF documents and information are found on this DE page: Teacher Leadership and Compensation System

• DE Guidance on TLC System, July 15, 2013
• Teacher Leadership System Design Resources
• TLC Planning Grant Instructions

Task Force on Teacher Leadership and Compensation

What's NEW?

Clarity by Bright Bytes  ... Districts may wish to use this survey tool to collect data for 21st Century Skills 'Technology' goal

This fall schools will have the opportunity to use a survey tool schools will have an opportunity to use a survey tool to see how well their technology investment is making an impact on their student achievement. Clarity For Public Schools is a quick way to measure the results of technology use in your school along with a customized plan for improvement.

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Additional resources/references: GHAEA School Improvement H.E.L.P. site

September 15...What's DUE? C-Plan 1, 2, 3, 4

District/nonpublic schools need to update and certify by September 15:

1. CSIP
2. Iowa Core Implementation Plan
3. APR
4. DDSDP

For more information this site has links: DE Site

C-Plan (consolidated Plan) 

C-Plan or Consolidated Plan is a collection site for reports, data and progress notes for districts and schools. C-Plan functions as a school or district-wide planning tool that guides the instructional focus (goal priorities) for school districts and accredited nonpublic schools in Iowa. C-Plan does not contain all that a school does; it contains actions that are centered on improving teaching and learning, at a minimum, in the areas of reading, mathematics, science, and other local indicators for student achievement.

Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP)

As a part of ongoing improvement, schools and districts adopt a written comprehensive school improvement plan (CSIP) designed for continuous school, parental, and community involvement in the development and monitoring of a plan that is aligned with school or school district determined needs. The plan incorporates goal setting, planning, and evaluation.

Annual Progress Report (APR)

The APR is an electronic report submitted to the Iowa Department of Education (IDoE) annually (September 15th) by public districts and accredited non-public schools. This report includes information regarding academic proficiency, academic goals, dropouts, graduation rates, attendance rates, and post-secondary data.

District Developed Service Delivery Plan (DDSDP)

Sept. 15 - District Developed Service Delivery Plan for districts who had an accreditation site-visit during the 2012-13 school year; district approval of assurances by September 15

The DDSDP is a written description of the district’s special education delivery system in required areas (how services will be provided; how the system was developed; determining, monitoring, and resolving concerns regarding teacher caseloads; evaluating the effectiveness of the system; how the system will meet state targets/needs identified) according to the Iowa Rules (41.408(2). These plans must be reviewed, revised, and readopted at least every 5 years. This process is typically completed by September 15th of the year following the district’s School Improvement Visit.

Welcome!

Welcome to the GHAEA School Improvement H.E.L.P. blog.
"Helping Educational Leaders Prepare"

This monthly blog will be a reference and resource for School Improvement:
What's NEW?
What's DUE?

This blog is 'powered by' Sherry Huffman and Connie Richardson
shuffman@ghaea.org
crichardson@ghaea.org

Additional resources/references: GHAEA School Improvement H.E.L.P. site